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Last week the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a series of actions it will undertake to protect communities and the environment from per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in our water supply. These include improving methods to detect PFAS in water, reducing PFAS discharges, and protecting fish and aquatic ecosystems from PFAS.
“EPA is using all available tools to address PFAS contamination as part of a broader, whole of government effort to protect communities across the country from these chemicals,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan.
A new testing method that can broadly screen for the presence of PFAS in water at the part per billion level was published by EPA. This new Screening Method for the Determination of Adsorbable Organic Fluorine (AOF) in Aqueous Matrices by Combustion Ion Chromatography (CIC) provides an aggregate measurement of chemical substances that contain carbon-fluorine bonds. PFAS are a common source of organofluorines in wastewater. This process is especially useful for understanding the presence and forms of PFAS in wastewater when used in conjunction with methods that target individual PFAS. EPA’s Draft Method 1621 has successfully completed single laboratory validation. Multi-laboratory validation will take place this summer and EPA intends to publish an updated version of the method later this year.
For reducing discharges, EPA is seeking to proactively use existing the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) authorities to reduce discharges of PFAS at the source and obtain more comprehensive information through monitoring on sources of PFAS. EPA also plans to issue new guidance to state permitting authorities to address PFAS in NPDES permits in a future action.
EPA is also developing national recommended ambient water quality criteria for PFAS to protect aquatic life. States and Tribes may use EPA-recommended water quality criteria to develop water quality standards that protect and restore waters, issue permits to address PFAS discharges, and assess the impact of PFAS pollution on local communities and the environment.
EPA is proposing the first Clean Water Act aquatic life criteria for perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS)—two of the most well-studied chemicals in this group. The criteria are intended to protect aquatic life in the United States from short-term and long-term toxic effects of PFOA and PFOS. Following the comment period, EPA intends to issue final PFOA and PFOS recommended criteria, considering public comments and any new toxicity data. States and Tribes may consider adopting the final criteria into their water quality standards or can adopt other scientifically defensible criteria that are based on local or site-specific conditions.
For more information on the Draft Method 1621, visit CWA Analytical Methods for Per- and Polyfluorinated Alkyl Substances (PFAS)
For more information on the NPDES memo, visit: Industrial Wastewater
For more information on aquatic life criteria for PFOA and PFOS, visit:
